Mondesi making tight battle a four-player race

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The only position battle in Royals camp has been quite intense this spring.
When camp opened in mid-February, the general thinking was that Christian Colón and Whit Merrifield would battle for the starting second-base job, with third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert a long-shot candidate because he was learning a new position.
Then 21-year-old Adalberto Mondesi, who spent two months with the Royals last season, bulldozed his way into the conversation by mashing the ball in just about every game he played early on.

Kansas City already knew about Mondesi's elite defensive skills. And the club knew about his breathtaking athleticism. But the Royals were wowed by what they saw at the plate this spring.
"He obviously struggled offensively in the big leagues last season," manager Ned Yost said. "But he's been a different player this spring. He's more confident. You see his personality coming out. And you see what he's capable of at the plate."
Mondesi is hitting .385 with two doubles and two home runs. And three bunt singles.
After relatively slow offensive starts, Colon (.279) and Merrifield (.298) have picked up the pace at the plate as well. But they haven't shown as much as Mondesi. Even Merrifield has taken notice.
"You can't help but see the talent," Merrifield said of Mondesi.

But the problem for Kansas City is roster construction. The one thing that is certain is that it will not be able to keep all four -- Mondesi, Merrifield, Colon and Cuthbert -- on the 25-man roster.
And Colon and Cuthbert are out of options. So keeping Mondesi would require the Royals to make one of two moves: Either send Merrifield, who has options, to Triple-A Omaha to start the season, or deal Colon or Cuthbert to make room.
Neither alternative would seem ideal. Even if Merrifield doesn't win the second-base job, his versatility as a super utility man is a manager's dream. And Merrifield's speed and bunting/hit-and-run abilities are valuable weapons for Yost as well.
Dealing Cuthbert also wouldn't be ideal because Kansas City would like to ease Mike Moustakas back into a full-time third-base role. Moustakas is coming off ACL surgery last May. Yes, Colon or Merrifield could fill in at third base, but not at the defensive level Cuthbert would.

Colon is a former first-round Draft pick who showed up in camp in his best shape as a Royal, and he has shown much more athleticism than in the past, taking extra bases while also improving his defensive range.
Still, if Mondesi continues to impress, the Royals may be left with no other choice but to make one of those hard calls as camp draws to a close. Kansas City talks often about being in a win-now mode, and the club wants to leave camp with its best 25 players.
Then again, the Royals also want to assure that Mondesi's development continues.
"Whatever happens," Yost said, "we want Mondi playing every day. That's important to his development.
"But it's a decision that is going to come down to the end. We've got a week left. It's close."